Third child born on NDRF rescue boat in flood-hit Bihar

Patna: A baby was born on a rescue boat of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in the flood-hit East Champaran district on Wednesday.

This is the third child born on NDRF boat in the current flood in Bihar which has engulfed 18 districts claiming 341 lives so far.

The Nitish Kumar government in Bihar has made provision to pay a sum of Rs 15,000 on birth of a girl child either while rescuig a pregnant woman to a relief camp or in the camp and Rs 10,00 for a boy child in similar condition.

"We are paying this money in such condition," Special Secretary in state Disaster Management Department Anirudh Kumar told PTI.

"Today while evacuating a pregnant woman with her guardian by NDRF team from her far-flung flood affected village of Patjilwa under Block Chiraiya in East Champaran district, she delivered a boy on our boat, a NDRF release said.

"Manisha Devi (28 yrs), wife of Nand Kishor Sahani was in advance stage of pregnancy and developed severe labour pain at her flood hit village Patjilwa. Circle Officer Chiraiya Block immediately informed NDRF team commander Inspector Vinay Kumar who promptly responded and rushed to her house.

"NDRF team professionally tackled the situation with a civil medical nurse and after assessing her condition finally decided to evacuated her to the nearby hospital by boat. During evacuation, she delivered a boy in the midstream of Budhi Gandak river under care and supervision of trained NDRF Medical First Responder," Vijay Sinha, commandant of 9th NDRF battalion based at Bihta in Patna, said.

"Mother and the new born baby have been admitted to the near-by government hospital at Chiraiya (Motihari) and they are in sound condition," he said.

This is the third case of a child taking birth on NDRF boat in flood this year. Earlier, one such birth had taken place on NDRF rescue boat in marooned Madhubani and Gopalganj.
Last year too, the NDRF had facilitated birth of four children on their boats during flood in Bihar.